Thugs abducted a mortuary attendant at a hospital in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State on Thursday, blocking a planned mass burial for victims of a recent bandit attack, authorities and political party officials said.
The incident prevented families from claiming bodies for burial.
The incident occurred at NKST Hospital, Jato Aka, the headquarters of Kwande Local Government Area, where bodies of victims from a bandit attack on Tyungu Jam and Mbaav communities had been deposited in the mortuary.
Mass burials are customary in Nigeria when multiple victims of violent attacks are involved, especially in rural and semi‑urban communities that have suffered security challenges from banditry and other forms of violence. Families and clergy had gathered to prepare for a planned mass burial of the victims.
The mortuary attendant, Mr. MT Tiga, was reportedly abducted by the group of thugs, and the mortuary was subsequently sealed, denying relatives access to the bodies.
Eleven bodies were scheduled for a mass burial that drew people and priests from within and outside the state.
The abduction disrupted the burial plans, prompting outrage from community members and political actors.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State condemned the disruption, describing the act as “disgraceful” in a statement by the party’s state publicity secretary, Daniel Ihomun.
The party claimed that “sponsored thugs abducted a mortuary attendant … and sealed his mortuary facility in a desperate attempt to prevent the people of Turan from carrying out a mass burial for the victims who were killed in Mbachoon, Yaav District of Turan in Kwande Local Government Area.”
The APC statement expressed concern over the interruption of burial arrangements and alleged sponsorship of the disruption.
The President General of Mdzough U Tiv Worldwide, retired Comptroller General of Prisons Iorbee Ihagh, also condemned the incident, describing it as shameful and noting that mourners were unable to access the bodies or proceed with the burial due to the attendant’s absence and the sealed mortuary.
The abduction and sealing of the mortuary have direct implications for affected families who were preparing to conduct a mass burial for loved ones who died in a violent attack.
In Benue State, security challenges have affected several communities, often leading to fatalities and displacements.
Interruptions to customary burial activities can deepen distress among families and communities already affected by violence.
Political actors’ reactions to the incident reflect broader concern about security and community welfare in parts of the state impacted by banditry and criminal activity.
